Flirting and Peril
by Shenlong Girl
Summary: Cassandra's teasing on New Earth has made Rose think about how she views the Doctor...and what she should do about it.
1. Touch and Air

Title: Flirting and Peril  
Author: Shen  
Rating: NC-17  
Characters: Rose Tyler, The Tenth Doctor  
Spoilers: Takes place during and after New Earth  
Teaser: Cassandra's teasing on New Earth has made Rose think about how she views the Doctor...and what she should do about it.

"You've been lookin'! You like it."

Rose Tyler looked away from the Cassandra-possessed Doctor and fought to keep an embarrassed smile from her face. While playing second fiddle in her own head, Rose had time to realize that, for all of Cassandra's vanity and elitism, she was also another lonely woman. And this juvenile teasing was a perfect demonstration of that. Then a thought struck her. If Cassandra was saying all of this from the Doctor's body while he was aware-

BANG!

She'd momentarily forgotten! There were infected beating down the door!

Sometimes, Rose thought she was getting too used to peril.

Had the Doctor control of his own body, he might've been blushing. It was flouncing around in a most undignified fashion, for one thing. For another, Cassandra was slipping him flashes of Rose's thoughts, whether by accident or to be mischievous he wasn't sure. At least he no longer had to worry about her being disturbed by his change of face. Which was nice, because she didn't look bad either, and he thought she probably knew he thought that, but...

'Oh, no,' he thought. It abruptly occurred to him that Cassandra could hop back into Rose's body. What then? She'd probably show Rose these thoughts, troublemaker that she was!

And she did. Cassandra hopped from Doctor to Rose and back several times, conducting an involuntary dialogue between the two all throughout the harrowing adventure in the New New York hospital.

Rose was mortified by that kiss. Abusively gripping a man's head was hardly suave, and she was relieved that he now knew that _she _wasn't such a dork. Not that it was all bad...

The Doctor was embarrassed by how much he had enjoyed that same kiss, even while he knew it wasn't Rose directing it. Did that make him a dirty old man?

Rose had some initial trepidation regarding the Doctor's new body, but she'd grown to like it very quickly. Her long-standing attraction to him had started to bleed into their playing and flirting at some point during his last incarnation, but she often hoped he didn't notice. They had a good thing going, after all, and it would be awful to be dumped back at home if the idea upset him.

Meanwhile, the Doctor had also found that he put more – and saw more – into their playfulness and hugging than he originally had. He wasn't even sure when it started happening. He also wasn't sure if he was relieved to find her on the same wavelength.

Rose decided that they both really were too used to peril, if they had time to think about these things while running for their lives and saving a hospital.

The Doctor wanted a banana. Or a banana milkshake. Maybe he and Rose could share one like – like lovesick teenagers. Oh hell.

And on it went. Then Cassandra vacated both of their bodies, but they had her dying to worry about. Finally, after watching her meet herself and collapse, the duo walked into the TARDIS in solemn silence.

"Um, do you want some tea?" Rose finally asked once the ship got moving. She didn't look at him, though.

"Yes, thank you. How about that Lady Grey?" he responded, similarly avoiding her gaze.

"Good idea; be back in a bit," she said before walking towards the kitchen, starting to consider. Is this how it was going to be? Spare words and awkward silence, pretending it never happened? Go about as if it was a run-of-the-mill bodysnatching adventure with no consequences? Well, the awkwardness would probably be forgotten eventually, and perhaps that was the way it should be. They had a good rapport, after all. She sighed as she filled the kettle and set it on the stove.

And yet, what if it could be something more? Oh, she wanted it. She admitted to herself how much she wanted it until recently. At Christmas, Mickey's, "You really love him, don't you?" as her deep worry for the Doctor's health cut right through her feelings of betrayal at his change of face. Cassandra's teasing, followed by her...informativeness. There was a reason she took Mickey for granted – several, actually – and it was mainly because the Doctor just eclipsed him completely. Even better, it seemed that part of him wanted her.

And why shouldn't he? She may have been "chav-tastic" but she was also perceptive and brave. And a bit "foxy," if she did think so herself. How many times, even when he was in his old body, had she heard things like, "You must really mean something to him," or, "What good are emotions if you can't save the woman you **love?**" from random third parties?

The kettle whistled, and she took it off the stove. However, now she smiled as she poured the boiling water over the waiting teabags. It seemed she had a new goal.

"Got your tea, Doctor!" Rose announced with a beaming smile. The Doctor looked up at her, startled at this change from their previously muttered dialogue. Then, his mind went momentarily blank, because he had forgotten, in the heat of danger, exactly how much skin she was showing.

"Ah...thanks, Rose," he managed, smiling in a slightly goofy way as she passed him his cup. Her hand brushed his in the transfer.

After a few sips, Rose asked, "So, you know what was funny?"

"What's that?"

"You, dancing around like an afflicted rabbit." The Doctor fixed his best "angry professor" glare on her, but she just stuck her tongue out at him.

"Right, well, not my most dignified moment," he admitted lightly, "I've been sillier, though. It's amazing what some drugs in this universe can do, not that I ever took them on purpose. Bloody welracks and their parties." However, it seemed she was not through with her teasing, because she sat her teacup down and walked around the back of his chair.

"'So many parts!'" she piped with her best Cassandra impression, walking two fingers up his arm, "'And hardly used...'" She trailed off. Meanwhile, the Doctor had jolted involuntarily at her touch, then turned slightly and looked up just in time to catch her cheeky grin. As soon as he did, though, she suddenly started yawning.

"Well, long day. Guess being bodysnatched takes it out of me. Goodnight, Doctor!" And she flounced of to her quarters.

A moment later, the Doctor realized that his mouth was hanging slightly open.

Rose was smiling to herself as she sat on her cot. The Doctor seemed confused, which she found amusing. He also did not seem off-put – to shiver at her touch like that! Rather than try to sleep, she picked up her book and sat back. She wasn't tired yet, and besides, she had more plotti- rather, thinking to do.

The next day, the Doctor and Rose took their breakfast as usual, and the Doctor settled down to make some adjustments on the TARDIS. After a bit, Rose crept into the room on stocking feet. He was kneeling, concentrating on some wire or another and thus, for once, did not notice her. Perfect.

She slid up behind him and bent over. Now that she was down here, what she really wanted to do was bite that ear, so unsuspecting before her. However, she kept control of herself and instead leaned forward slightly to blow into it. Not a sharp, quick spurt meant to startle, but a slow, tantalizing wind. He twitched a bit and spun around to see her start giggling like a little kid after an innocent prank.

"Scared you!" she taunted, grinning widely.

"No you didn't rightly!" was his retort, but it just pulled a fresh chuckle from his companion. He wore a bewildered look at first, but he replaced it with a "Ha, you got me," face as he stood.

"Having fun?" he asked dryly.

"Aw," Rose responded before pulling him into a hug. She turned her face towards his neck and coyly breathed, "Sorry."

After a moment's hesitation, he wrapped his arms around her and gave her a bear hug. And did he nuzzle her a bit? It was Rose's turn to be caught off-guard, and her breath caught in her throat.

"That's all right," he rumbled against her cheek, "I know how mischievous children need to be."

She pushed away and gave him another playful shove for good measure while he laughed at her.

"Mean old man!" She smiled and left him to his work. The jab at her age didn't bother her one bit. Because if she had his measure, judging of course by the signals of his body, he might just be a cradle-robber.

The Doctor watched her retreat with crossed arms and a bemused look. Was she trying to seduce him? Mess with him to leave him bothered and bewildered? Well, he was a Time Lord, hundreds of years old, not some green boy. She should know by now that no human had him fooled for long. Maybe that was alright, though. He liked the attention, and the faces she made while she was teasing him were pretty adorable. Shining with impish glee.

They'd always flirted. It was part of their great dynamic, as well, that she knew when to joke and when to concentrate on business. The thing that really grabbed him, however, had been that she nearly died for him. Not in a momentary fit of madness, in the heat of danger. Rather, after she was safe and sound, she hurled herself into nearly certain extermination to try and rescue him. He'd never been good at denying Rose Tyler anything, and after that she deserved a shot at whatever she wanted.

So he would let her flirt, let her try to make him break and act first. Didn't mean he had to let her win - two could play at this game.


	2. Frolic

Title: Flirting and Peril  
Author: Shen  
Rating: NC-17  
Characters: Rose Tyler, The Tenth Doctor  
Spoilers: Takes place during and after New Earth  
Teaser: Cassandra's teasing on New Earth has made Rose think about how she views the Doctor...and what she should do about it.

Chapter 2: Frolic

The Doctor and Rose had landed on what seemed to be a resort satellite.

"Honeymoon satellite, actually," the Doctor corrected, pointing at the logo on a nearby wall. It sported a picture of what must've been the satellite, as well as the words, "Kak 7 – The Honeymoon of Your Dreams."

"This satellite is in the shape of the orlick heart."

"What's an orlick?" Rose inquired. The Doctor merely nodded discretely towards a humanoid creature with three horns and orange scales. It was walking up to them with a smile.

"Welcome, newlyweds! I hope you had a good trip. Let's get you checked in, shall we?" The Doctor and Rose automatically slipped into wide grins and followed the alien. He prattled on about amenities and activities while, behind him, Rose leaned towards the Doctor a bit.

"What're we doing here exactly?" she asked through her teeth.

"Not sure – the TARDIS seems to think something suspicious is going on in this satellite. Didn't know it was a resort."

"Nice of her to tell you she's sending us into peril this time," Rose joked quietly.

Then, presumably because it would be more convincing, the Doctor entwined his hand with hers and squeezed.

A little while later, "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" had a room to which they could retire.

"Smith. You're so boring," Rose stated.

"Can't go wrong with Smith," the Doctor muttered distractedly. He was waving his sonic screwdriver around the room, examining the various surfaces.

Rose chided, "We could have just used 'Tyler.' But you had to complicate things by making something-"

"That's weird," the Doctor interrupted, talking more to himself than anything. "I'm picking up some kind of signal from outside. Or some kind of radiation. Maybe setting 1,376…"

"You know, I didn't think aliens would have honeymoons. I mean, I know they don't all do marriage like humans," Rose wondered aloud, thinking back to the asexual aliens and commitment-less cultures they had run into on numerous occasions.

"Well, not even all humans adhere to your version of marriage. But the idea of the honeymoon did come from your people. Once other life forms heard of it, though, they jumped right on it. And why not? Great money-making opportunity for a business, and the way some of you lot go about weddings, it's no wonder you need a vacation afterwards." The Doctor stopped to give his sonic screwdriver an annoyed look.

"What's wrong?" Rose inquired.

Still frowning, he responded, "We're too far away. Or it's shielded by something. We'll need to explore outside."

"If it doesn't turn out to be too urgent, can we take in the sights? We've never been to a resort satellite before. That orlick said they had a cinema and a pool." As she spoke, she saw the Doctor's eyes flit over to the bed. The conspicuously singular bed that they would have to consider if they spent more than a day here. Oh god, that wasn't quite the kind of subtle flirtation she was going for, but now that she'd gone and put her foot in her mouth she'd best…best…pretend she had no idea what she just said. Honest accident, not a blatant come-on. Rose smiled, eyes wide and, she hoped, innocent.

The Doctor had looked contemplative, but he abruptly perked up and grinned back at her.

"Don't see why not! We'll have to be careful, though. There are a lot of…_couples'_ activities, if you catch my drift," he said, looking down and pulling on his ear, "They're not obviously labeled for the sake of the conservative clientele, but a place like this, in this time, would have plenty to cater to the…progressive crowd." Hand now rubbing the back of his neck, he was looking at her again, if sidelong.

"Not obviously labeled?" asked Rose, looking a little alarmed.

"Let's just say, stay away from anything using the word, 'basket.'" Rose couldn't begin to make sense of that word choice and was frankly too afraid to ask.

"But first, let's go explore a bit and see if we can't learn something!" He offered her his arm, and she took it.

Rose turned towards the Doctor and said, "Well, come on then. Let's frolic." They stood at the edge of a field of some sort. The grass was impeccably groomed, and it was littered with couples and small groups eating picnics or playing games. They ran or skipped or threw what looked like Frisbees around the massive tract of "land," set aside for them. A lake of vegetation amidst the shining glass and metal of the resort town, just for the lovers who wanted to do some outdoor bonding in perfect weather.

"Time Lords don't frolic."

"You frolicked with me on New Earth, like, yesterday. Well, technically in a few thousand years, we _will _frolic, but it was sort of yesterday...you know what I mean. Which is that you so frolic. Besides, we'll look awful out of place, stalking across the play area, all business." Rose held out her hand.

She was probably messing him about. Getting him to play and be goofy for no reason. But wait, when had he needed an excuse to goof off with Rose?

That was why, after a moment, the Doctor said, "You're starting to sound like me." Then, he gave his toothy, lopsided grin and took her hand. Abruptly, he began to run.

"Oi!" Rose yelped as she was dragged along, taking a moment to catch up.

"We should race!" the Doctor yelled back to her.

"We're holding hands!"

"Well then-" he said before making a sudden stop. Rose tried to pull up next to him, skidded past, and was jerked back by his arm. Turning somewhat, she stumbled back and was caught in his sure grip.

"Sorry," he said in a completely unapologetic tone. He smiled mischievously, and his eyes twinkled when she looked up at him. He saw a mildly incredulous look on her face. However, he was delighted to see it replaced with wide eyes and a blush when he slid his hands to her waist and set her upright.

"You- you're a git. And abusive!" she managed.

"Well, I was going to invite you to a proper race, but if you're injured, I'll have to carry you." His expression never changed, and Rose barely had time for a "What?" before he'd slung her over his shoulder. There was a full three seconds of shocked silence before Rose smacked him in his back.

"Put me down," she squealed. "Lemme go, and I'll race you! Old man!" The Doctor was worried he may have gone too far, but her expression when he put her down eased her worries. She gaped at him and shook her head, but there was barely-concealed amusement as well.

"Next time I catch you working under the TARDIS console, I'm sitting on you so you know what that feels like."

"Ready to race?" the Doctor asked with a quirked brow. Rose knit her own in a game face and asserted,

"You're on!" She bent in the classic racer's starting position. Okay. He shrugged and did the same beside her.

"To that couple with the yellow blanket. On my mark," he declared, staring ahead to plot his path, "1…2…3!"

Five steps later, he tripped on the shoelace Rose had sneakily untied while they were crouching. Tricky girl.


	3. Investigation

Title: Flirting and Peril  
Author: Shen  
Rating: NC-17  
Characters: Rose Tyler, The Tenth Doctor  
Spoilers: Takes place during and after New Earth  
Teaser: Cassandra's teasing on New Earth has made Rose think about how she views the Doctor...and what she should do about it.

Chapter 3: Investigation

"That hurts!" the Doctor yelped as Rose put her hand on his knee. She gave him a withering look.

"Big bad Time Lord. You weren't supposed to hurt yourself, just stumble." He was sitting in the grass, and she was kneeling by his bent leg.

"Cheater," he pouted. Rose finally looked apologetic and ventured a smile.

"Well, you're not bleeding through your trousers, so I think you'll be fine. All I can do is kiss it to make it better." At that, she planted a peck on his knee and sat back to look at him. To her surprise, the Doctor wore an incredulous expression.

"Kiss it to make it better? Kiss it? Where on earth is that from?" he asked, honestly confused.

"Um, well, Earth. When a little kid skins his knees or elbows falling off his bike or whatever, and he's in hysterics, mums kiss it to make it better. Calms them down, or something." The Doctor still had a quirked brow.

"Besides, they say, 'love heals,' yeah?" Rose rambled, then hastily added, "'S what mums are for!" He was no longer looking at her, however. His gaze was miles away, contemplative.

"Love...heals," he muttered, bringing his gaze around to look at his now concerned companion. A slow smile on his part helped reassure her.

'Perhaps it does,' he thought as he stood up, brushed himself off, and took her hand again.

After an hour or so spent browsing small shops and surreptitiously taking readings with the sonic screwdriver, the pair were at last outside an official-looking building. Rose noticed a sign above the door, "Facilities Management and Event Scheduling."

"Here it is. There's a strange radiation signature coming from this building, or maybe from under it. What do you say we do this time?"

"Hm," Rose considered, "routine maintenance? Changing dead light fixtures or something. Oh! We could be from a magazine or paper. That fits our clothes better." The Doctor grinned. Rose knew he loved going undercover, and the more brash the better.

"Alright, then! Got our press pass right here," he announced, pulling out the psychic paper. Rose reached past his hand, to his collar.

"Can't have you looking unprofessional," she said as she buttoned his top button and straightened his tie. Perhaps more slowly than necessary, she smoothed out the front of his suit with her hands and finished by placing one on his cheek.

"There! That's better." She smiled up at him and was pleased to see she'd caught him off guard. Pleasantly so, apparently, because he grinned and leaned into her hand a bit.

"I think the grass stains will interfere, but I'm sure that helped. Thanks," he replied. Rose was thankful to notice that he politely ignored the questionable professionalism in wearing jeans like she was. A few moments later, they were at the front desk.

"Excuse me! Hello, miss, I'm Bill Tyler, and this is my intern, Rose Phillips." The Doctor flashed his psychic paper. Rose fought back a glare. First he named them Smith instead of Tyler, then he stole her last name for himself!

The woman examined it carefully before replying, "Ah, you're from Boe System Bride! But you aren't due until next week. I'm not sure we'll be able to accommodate you like we had hoped." The Doctor breathed a mental sigh of relief; he hadn't known the names of any actual bridal magazines and was thankful the paper had drawn one out of this woman.

"Yes! Sorry. There was a mix-up at the home office, virus in the scheduling program; there's been some chaos. Just yesterday, someone tried to conduct an interview with a creature who wasn't born yet. But don't worry, we won't let any lack of preparedness affect our review, since it's our fault. Maybe we can start by looking around here?"

"Oh, I'm sure I can get a higher-up to show you around. No need to wander aimlessly and get lost." The receptionist smiled politely and began making pages. The Doctor and Rose nodded and waited patiently to the side until a tall orlick came through the door beside the desk.

"Hello! No worries about the scheduling error; I should be able to show you all you need to see. I'm sure you'll find that this is one of the very best places for a couple or a symbiotic triad or what have you to celebrate their union. My name's Jindrick." The orlick gave a winning smile, which the time travelers returned in kind. They then introduced themselves and asked to be shown around the building.

"Certainly. This will be informative for you, since it's basically the brain of the satellite. You can see what sort of events and attractions we have upcoming, as well as the dedicated staff that finds them."

"Brilliant!" replied the Doctor. "Lead on." A few offices later, Rose suddenly stopped to talk to a particular secretary about spa treatments, and Jindrick delightedly joined in. The Doctor thought it was handy that the orlick was so proud of his company because it gave him the time he needed to whip out his sonic screwdriver and quickly test the area.

"Excuse me," he interrupted the animated trio sheepishly, "can you direct me to the nearest bathroom?"

"Of course. We'll wait for you he-"

"No need!" the Doctor protested, pulling a small notebook and pen from seemingly nowhere, "my intern needs the practice anyway. I'll catch up soon as I can." He gave Rose the items and smiled winningly at Jindrick. The man shrugged and gave him directions, which the Doctor took with thanks.

"So," he heard Rose say as he retreated, "What's next?"

His companion had provided the distraction he needed to test the area, and now he trusted her to continue to do what she did best – ask questions and show a genuine interest in the workers of the office. She could eat up time that way while he went downstairs to find the source of this radiation.

The next room the small party reached was maintenance dispatch. A few good-natured techs and janitors were hanging around, presumably either taking a break or waiting on orders from the lone computer terminal and its operator. Jindrick gave a spiel about organization, and then Rose started chatting with the staff. After a few minutes, she asked,

"So what powers this place? It's exceptionally quiet here, and I bet such luxurious facilities require a fair bit of energy."

"We have several reactors spread throughout the satellite, and they've recently been refitted. That explains the quiet. They're extremely efficient, as well – the latest model," Jindrick explained.

"I'm wondering if we shouldn't have waited on that upgrade, though. There have been some power fluctuations, sudden drops in efficiency – I think that company needs to work some bugs out yet," added an older tech. Rose caught Jindrick shooting him a glare.

"What kind of fluctuations? I hope it's nothing dangerous," she said brightly.

"Of course not! Though now I wonder where your boss is; I hope he didn't get lost." Changing the topic – interesting, but not necessarily indicative of villainy. He could just be trying to save face in front of the "press."

"Oh, it wouldn't surprise me. I'm starting to think the boss assigned me to him just so he would have someone around to make sure he made it safely back to the office every day." Jindrick started to smile but stopped suddenly.

"I could always replace you with a pocket computer, Rose, but they don't make tea quite as well," came a voice from behind her. Rose pretended to look sheepish before she turned around to see at his cheeky grin.

"Thanks, boss. And you know I wouldn't learn half as much from anyone else!" she said with false nervousness, slipping him a wink. After another hour of touring and chatting, as well as a comprehensive run-down of every activity and show available for the next two months, the trio found themselves back at the reception desk.

"I do hope you found that informative! But I see now it's getting late."

"Yes!" Rose said, perhaps too desperately, "we're just beat. Jet-lag, you know."

"Perhaps we can resume this tomorrow, then?"

"Oh, absolutely," replied the Doctor earnestly. They said their farewells and left the building.

"Well, that was godawful boring. We don't have to go back tomorrow, do we?" Rose asked once they were in the street. The Doctor shook his head, looking grim.

"We may not be here that long. Have to sneak in there tonight, actually. There's something living on the lower level of this satellite. It-"

"Feeds on the reactors?"

The Doctor blinked, "It might; I wasn't sure."

"A senior tech told me they're getting power fluctuations, that sort of thing."

"Well, that narrows it down. There's a creature buried in the machinery, too deep for me to get to on a fake bathroom run. But if it's feeding off the reactors, it'll be a minzo egg. Just as well we don't try for it now; UV light would probably make it hatch. Still, we need to remove it as soon as possible; it will tear this place apart if it hatches and most likely damage an important system down there."

"Can't we just tell the owners? It doesn't sound like something they want down there," Rose asked.

"If they believed us – and that's a big if, since minzos are extremely rare, and we're less than credible – they will panic and remove it now. For that matter, I don't trust them to take care of it properly if they do manage to extricate it safely. No, we'd best take care of this. Besides, it's more fun that way!" His seriousness faded away with that last sentence, and Rose could hear a trace of giddiness. It was infectious, and she bounced a little on the balls of her feet.

"Night-time infiltration, boss?"

"We'll get to the bottom of this one yet, Phillips," the Doctor answered with mock seriousness. Rose laughed at him.

"Then let's eat something and maybe have some fun before dark. Please?"

"Sure. Did you mention a pool earlier?"


	4. A Swim and a Run

Title: Flirting and Peril  
Author: Shen  
Rating: NC-17  
Characters: Rose Tyler, The Tenth Doctor  
Spoilers: Takes place during and after New Earth  
Teaser: Cassandra's teasing on New Earth has made Rose think about how she views the Doctor...and what she should do about it.

Author's Note: I'm not the best artist, and Photoshop gives me...FITS. But I illustrated this anyways. Concrit readily accepted on fic and pic. Reference used for the chair.

Chapter 4: A Swim and a Run

The Doctor and Rose found a small place to eat dinner and then ran back to the TARDIS to find swim wear. A few minutes later, the Doctor stood in the pool, waiting for his companion. When she did come around the corner, however, he saw that the pool really was a great idea. Possibly the best he'd had all week. She wore a dark red bikini that tied behind her neck, and it had a few yellow and blue lines running through it as a design. He noted that she wore it with easy confidence, despite the fact that he rarely saw her wearing so little. Beautiful. She smiled at him before lowering herself into the temperature-controlled water.

"Hello, Doctor."

"What?" he responded a little slowly. Rose gave him a little frown.

"Are you feeling alright?"

"Yes!" he said, finally shaking it off, "I'm fine. That's a nice bathing suit."

"Thanks! I like yours, too," said Rose with a little smirk, nodding towards his swim trunks. They were decorated with bananas.

[Picture here! http://shengirl. got these at Villengard. You know, ba-"

"Bananas are good, yes," Rose interrupted, rolling her eyes good-naturedly. The pair relaxed in the cool water and talked. After a little bit, however, Rose seemed struck with curiosity.

"Oh, what's that, Doctor?" The Doctor looked around, confused.

"What?" he asked. Rose came up behind him and stood close.

"I'll show you," she said, sighing dramatically. Suddenly, he felt her press up close to him, acutely aware of her body flush against his bare back and her left hand at his hip. She was fitted against him in a most interesting way, and that was making his head swim, even as she rested her chin lightly on his left shoulder. He froze, confused by this closeness but loathe to lessen it. What to do with his arms? What was she doing again? Showing him something? Apparently so, since she made to point ahead of them, at something up and to the right.

"If you'll look," he could feel her as much as hear her, her chest against his back and her breath tickling right at his jawline, "exactly...there."

PLOOSH! Suddenly, that pointing arm had wrapped around his shoulders as its sister appendage grabbed his middle, and his knees were kicked from under him, and he was very under the water.

Now that was playing dirty.

Sputtering, the Doctor surfaced a moment later. And when his ears were clear enough of water, he heard Rose laughing at him. He turned to glare at her.

"Did Time Lord children not dunk each other in the pool? I can't believe that worked!" Her features spoke delight at getting one over on the man who called _her_ species stupid apes.

"Yes, you got me. But I'll get you back for it," the Doctor threatened, shooting her a predatory look. She merely smirked back.

"Got to catch me first!" And she was off. He chased her for a few minutes, terrorizing other couples with their mad splashing. As it turned out, their well-developed fleeing muscles made them both fast swimmers, but the Doctor caught up to Rose eventually. He snatched her around the middle and wrangled her squealing form into his arms so he held her under her back and knees, half in the water.

"Caught you!" he declared triumphantly. To his surprise, his companion did not look exactly chagrined.

Quirking a brow, she spoke in a low, slightly teasing tone, "Did you? And what are you going to do about it?" What indeed? He hadn't thought that far ahead. But here she was, cradled close to him, looking at him expectantly, her lips parted just so. One of her hands moved to rest on his chest. And he hadn't realized he was doing it, but he was pulling her a tiny bit closer even as he was leaning in.

"I might..." he started, but the thought was doomed to incompleteness.

"Oi!" yelled a nearby alien, "There's plenty of room for that in the special pool across the street!" The Doctor was jolted out of his trance, and so pure was his shock (and guilt?) that he dropped Rose outright. She had enough time for an undignified squeak before her head went under. Then it was her turn to come up sputtering and coughing, and she looked quite ready to swear at him.

"Sorry?" tried the Doctor. "You did dunk me first."

Yes, that was a good idea. Pretend it was on purpose. He had, just then, nearly let a human beat him at their game of seduction. She had started it, not he, but he had no intention of losing. She _would_ make that first move, if he had any say in it. But oh, she was good. She was also looking honestly offended. Uh-oh.

"You all right?" he asked tentatively. After a long moment, she broke off her glare and sighed.

"I'm fine. Just chlorine in my sinuses." Then, she gave him a very different gaze, with a trace of a smile.

_Well-played,_ it said, _but this game is not over yet._

A little later, the pair were on their way back to the Facilities Management and Event Scheduling building. Rose was outfitted sensibly in a dark blue jacket, black jeans, and trainers.

"There are plenty of nightlife-seekers out here, but since where we're headed is mostly official buildings, it should be quiet," the Doctor prattled to her. She merely nodded from her position at his side, where she was holding onto his arm. Absentmindedly, she leaned her head into his shoulder and yawned. He stopped walking and looked down.

"You're not tired, are you?" he asked gently.

"Forgot how swimming takes it out of me," she answered, sounding slightly embarrassed. "'S fine, though." The Doctor wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gave them a squeeze before continuing to walk. Rose was pleased when he left it there, and she placed her own arm around his waist for the last few streets. Finally, they were just a few buildings from their destination.

"There's a guard at the door, look. Orlick," she whispered, but the Doctor gave a little smirk.

"I'll take care of it. Watch this." He walked her to the stairs before the building, then left her to jog up to the guard.

Putting on a genial demeanor, he exclaimed, "Hello, there! My wife and I seem to be a bit lost." He gestured back towards Rose, who shyly waved her fingers at the guard. "Can you help us out?"

"Where are you trying to get?" asked the orlick with gruff politeness. He seemed a little suspicious.

"Well," started the Doctor, rummaging in his jacket, "I actually have a map somewhere, I'm just pants at reading them." And he casually pulled out his sonic screwdriver and pointed it at the guard. In moments, the guard was asleep, and the Doctor caught his slumping form. Rose gawked as he lowered the unconscious alien to the ground.

"How did you do that?" she asked, clearly impressed.

"Orlicks have some funny things in common with lions," he explained vaguely. "Bet I won't need that function again for a few hundred years." Rose shrugged and helped him drag the body where passersby would not see, and then they broke in. The next several minutes were easy. Indeed, she doubted anyone stayed to work this late except perhaps the techs and maintenance staff. Thus, they stayed clear of the Dispatch Center and made their way downstairs.

The pair soon found themselves in the reactor room, where the Doctor explained he would have to disassemble some of the machinery to get to the minzo egg. Rose helped him at first, but after ten minutes she sat against the wall and relaxed.

"Quite a bit of unnecessary wiring and piping here," the Doctor said, beginning a long prattle. However, when Rose went five minutes without even a token, "uh-huh," he turned to look at her. Her face was peaceful, and her breathing was even. He smiled, thinking that only Rose could fall asleep in the middle of an infiltration. Maybe he should have felt a little bad; he could have had her take a nap instead of splashing around with him. Still, he couldn't bring himself to regret wrestling her swimsuit-clad form. Even if it necessitated chemically-treated water getting into his sensitive nose. Laughter bubbled up at the thought of her outraged expression upon being dropped into the water, but he suppressed it so as not to disturb her. He just let himself crawl over to her and plant a peck at her hairline before returning to work.

"ROSE!" The shout came a split second before strong hands gripped hers and started dragging her up.

"Wha? Wot's happened?" she slurred, her mind struggling to catch up even as her legs worked up a respectable running pace. She silently thanked her strong fleeing reflexes.

"It hatched!" the Doctor yelled. "I dug it out, and I tried to examine it, and it woke up!" And now she heard claws skittering across the office flooring, accompanied by a deep hissing.

"Even we can't be that unlucky! Why now?"

"It must have been the sonic screwdriver. The wavelength I was using must act as a stimulant to it, like I told you UV light would." He was practically snapping at her, but she knew him well enough to tell he wasn't mad at her or impatient with her stupidity. If anything, he was probably frustrated with his own.

So, ignoring his tone, she asked, "Can you put it back to sleep?"

"I need tools, but yes."

"Right then," stated Rose, hauling them to a stop at an intersection. The Doctor dropped her hand to gesture wildly.

"What are you doing! We've got to-"

"Doctor!" Rose interjected tersely, "You need to get to the Tech Dispatch and build whatever it is we need. I'll distract the minzo." He gawked at her, wordless, for the four seconds it took the creature to turn the corner and face them. To Rose's surprise, it was dark blue; a tailless, Alsatian-sized beast, covered in fur but for its face and paws. All four of those had three thick digits, arranged similar to a bird's and terminating in glistening, black claws. She didn't stop to contemplate what the shining substance was.

She quickly pulled out her cell phone and opened it, waving it at the creature, "Look! Shiny! What's this kinda light, huh? Do you want it? Yes?" She spoke as if trying to engage a dog in play. The creature's feline-esque face quirked to the side in interest. Suddenly, it lunged for her, and she launched herself down the adjacent hallway and away from the Doctor. She then heard a loud smack that sounded like the minzo misjudging the corner and running into the wall. The thing's body looked built for grace, liquid steel, so she could only hope this newborn awkwardness would persist long enough to save her life.

This is an ironic reference to _The Stone Rose_.


	5. Peril in Earnest

Title: Flirting and Peril  
Author: Shen  
Rating: NC-17  
Characters: Rose Tyler, The Tenth Doctor  
Spoilers: Takes place during and after New Earth  
Teaser: Cassandra's teasing on New Earth has made Rose think about how she views the Doctor...and what she should do about it.

Chapter 5: Peril in Earnest

The Doctor stared at the retreating form of the blue, shaggy minzo, his eyes wide with panic. Should he run after it? Could he distract it from Rose before...? But no; he might make it chase him but would still have no way of fighting it off. And yet, better him than her, certainly. All this ran through his head in a second. Then, he spun around and sprinted for the Dispatch Center. Rose was his companion, and he only took the best. He would just have to trust her.

That didn't mean, however, that he would be taking his time at all.

Rose ran for her life. She made circles in the corridors, fearful that any attempt to run up or down stairs would allow it to leap ahead of her while her human legs went stair-by-stair. Coming up on another intersection, she deftly turned to the right, certain the creature would overshoot the hallway. Every millisecond counted. However, it seemed she chose poorly, as this offshoot was clearly a dead end. A deep hissing approached her frighteningly fast, and she had no choice but to make one last burst of speed propel her down the hallway. At the very end, she threw herself into a conference room and slammed the door.

A moment later, the Alsatian-sized alien barreled into it with shocking velocity, making her jump, but the door held. Now that she had stopped running, the weakness of her legs could no longer be ignored, and she leaned against the table. Oxygen burned down her tortured windpipe as she attempted to catch her breath.

'Minzo,' she thought. 'Such a cute name for a terrifying, slavering beast – and this one's only a puppy.' For a moment, she nearly erupted in high-pitched laughter, gripped in unreasonable hysteria. Sometimes, she thought she was losing it. Right then – too soon! - claws ripped through the door and began to pull it apart. Rose dashed across the room to another door, which let out back up the hallway a little ways. She waited until the minzo burst through the first door, half-tangled in its shreds, to run back into the hallway and begin her circuitous fleeing anew.

The Doctor erupted through the door to the Tech Dispatch Center, scaring the living daylights out of the three staff on standby.

"AAAAH!"

"Tools! Instruments! I need to borrow them, quickly!" he demanded impatiently.

"You're not even supposed to be-" one orlick started to drawl.

The Doctor spat, "Check your cameras, first floor," and began to rummage through the nearest portable tech kit. By the time the nearest orlick got over his shock enough to move towards him menacingly, the one at the terminal gasped audibly.

"Oh my gods! That's a-" he stopped short, gawking at the screen.

"Minzo!" the Doctor had to yell, having already moved on to a supply closet to search for what he needed. "And that girl, that's my- She's my- She's going to die if I don't finish this, so help me!" To his relief, the three were galvanized into action. Whether by his commanding presence or its undertone of desperation, he neither knew nor cared, and he began to bark out part names.

'Hold on, Rose,' he thought, 'I won't be much longer!'

Rose had the oddest feeling, almost a reassurance. She thought it would not be long now before the Doctor came for her. Of course, it was probably some deranged portion of her psyche starting on the "denial" stage of "oh my God I'm going to die." That had to be it, because her running looked dangerously close to stumbling at this point, and air seared her throat even as she gulped it greedily. Still, she darted and dodged, tripping up the beast to gain every precious inch of space she could.

Struck with an idea, she pulled her mobile out again and flashed its colorful display back at the beast, wiggling it in what she hoped was an enticing manner. Too winded to manage even a convincing, "Lookit!" she just chucked it down the straight part of an intersection before careening down the left path herself. Moments later, she heard the crunch of something enthusiastically pouncing on electronics, followed by a hiss she could have swore sounded outraged. Now down the hallway a ways, she dove into a break room and began to barricade the door. She couldn't run anymore.

"Done!" announced the Doctor. He had created an ill-fitting extension to the sonic screwdriver, which he was now holding in place with his hand. One of the orlicks checked the cameras again, and his eyes widened.

"This way!" he said, and he led his friends and the Doctor out the door. His hearts were beating faster than mandated by just physical exertion, and they nearly burst with relief when they came upon the minzo. It was clawing down a door and seemed to be stuck on something on the other side. As he ran up to it, the creature pulled a chair through the door and hissed.

"No more of that, young man," quipped the Doctor, pointing the sonic screwdriver. "Time to go back to bed, and no story for being so naughty!" The contraption he'd devised filtered the signal, turning the light red in the process. A hiss turned into something like a yawn as the creature tried to feed on the energy presented to it. In moments, it was asleep.

"Doctor?" came a rasp from the behind the door. He flung the remains of it aside and saw her pulling chairs away from the opening with equal alacrity. He beamed widely and reached for her, and she crashed into him, shaking slightly with exertion. After a few seconds of hugging, he pulled back and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Your job is not the bait!" he yelled, the watery relief in his eyes belying any anger in his voice. She smiled cheekily back at him and said,

"Don't be stupid. You don't look nearly as sexy in a skirt."

"That's for men, not for-"

"I know," she interrupted. Suddenly, she didn't want to tease him or argue, and her voice came out sounding small. "I'm sorry."

"Then thank you," replied the Doctor, looking her in the eyes so she knew he meant it. He could practically feel her pleasure at the compliment. The worry dropped from her damp, slightly reddened, i beautiful /i face, and quite suddenly they were kissing. He didn't know who leaned in first, nor when his hand had moved to cup her cheek; he was just aware of her lips chastely pressed to his. When neither pulled away, relief and happiness were palpable. So palpable, he didn't know if he was feeling it or sensing the fact that she was feeling it, which was weird.

Those thoughts fluttered away when Rose parted just long enough to take a breath, slid her arms around him, and started a deeper snog. It was slow, exploratory, and affectionate – for the all of three seconds it was allowed to last.

"Freeze!" The Doctor broke the connection and whirled around, keeping his body between the speaker and Rose. Part of the resort's guard force stood at the door to the room, stun guns pointed. Behind them was Jindrick, the orlick who had shown them around the building earlier.

"What?" ask the Doctor, sounding puzzled. Rose wriggled out of his grasp enough to poke her head around him.

"What's this about? We just saved your satellite from a minzo thing!"

Sounding outraged, Jindrick yelled back, "And how do we know you didn't bring it here in the first place? You cased this joint earlier today. I called 'Boe System Bride,' and they had no idea who you were! And if you were here to help, why did you knock the door guard unconscious?!"

"Come on! I bet that's the best sleep he's had in years!" The Doctor immediately sensed this was not the optimum response for getting them out of trouble. So, he tried again.

"Look, if I told you there was a minzo in your reactor, would you have believed me? And we didn't even know that much until this afternoon. Would you have let a stranger investigate down here because of a radiation signature that you apparently can't even detect? Ehh?"

"Really, we were just going to take it away somewhere. We were trying to help," Rose said earnestly. An idea striking her, she added, "My husband picked up the reading when we arrived this morning. Check the guest list; we're Mr. and Mrs. Smith."

"So you devised a secondary cover story," stated one of the guards in a manner that sounded very unimpressed. "Bravo."

"Rose told me you've been having power fluctuations and energy losses. It's that little bugger's fault," the Doctor tried one last time. Finally, Jindrick seemed to stop and consider. He spoke moments later.

"Fine. Take them away, and put them in holding cells. I'll speak with the chief engineer and have someone check their room for anything suspicious." Rose gave the Doctor a questioning look, and he gave a slightly exasperated one in return, along with a nearly imperceptible shrug. They were going to play along for now.

It was a benefit of Time Lord pockets that, since they existed in a slightly different dimension, a normal frisking would give no indication of what was inside them. As such, the Doctor still had his sonic screwdriver and would be able to engineer an escape should it become necessary. For now, however, he sat in his holding cell peacefully, right across from the one they had given Rose. It did amuse him to note that, such an un-novel occurrence was imprisonment, she had fallen asleep almost immediately.

After an hour or two, he got to thinking. He had been getting some odd vibes from Rose recently, and he didn't mean the seductive ones. Those were anything but odd, considering how close-yet-stubborn they had always been. No, upon reflecting on recent experiences, he realized he had an increased sense of her emotions. He decided to experiment.

Concentrating on her sleeping form, he tried to project what he was feeling. Then he figured out that perception of boredom would be hard to detect in a sleeping person, so he tried a different approach. Gazing at her anew, he thought about what he saw. A blonde human, young, but in no way typical. This was the face that lit up any room she entered, at least to him. The brow that knit in reproach any time he tried to tell her she couldn't do something dangerous. The lips he'd kissed three times now, though she would remember only two. And eyes...eyes that, when she opened them, he knew would look at him with affection and, he dared to hope, something more. That had once glowed golden and fierce. He had sent her away, and she had risked dying herself just to be with him. The Doctor saw all of that, captured the feeling it inspired in him, and pushed it towards Rose's mind. Her slack facial expression shifted into a smile, and she made a happy little noise.

Interesting. He tried thinking about the pool that afternoon, chasing each other with abandon, and it seemed to make her giggle. Could this be a psychic connection?


	6. Resolutions

Title: Flirting and Peril  
Author: Shen  
Rating: NC-17  
Characters: Rose Tyler, The Tenth Doctor  
Spoilers: Takes place during and after New Earth  
Teaser: Cassandra's teasing on New Earth has made Rose think about how she views the Doctor...and what she should do about it.

Chapter 6: Resolutions

After several hours of sitting in their holding cells, Rose dead to the world, the Doctor heard someone coming towards them. He managed to wake Rose up just as Jindrick entered the hall.

"Jindrick," the Doctor greeted cautiously. The orlick nodded curtly in response.

"So," Rose said, pausing to yawn, "what did you find?"

"The reactor room was checked. A hole had been dug in the machinery, and an egg was found in it."

"See, we were taking it out!" she exclaimed.

"Taking it out or digging a hole to hide it in in the first place? No proving either way." When silence greeted him, he continued. "So I asked the chief engineer about the power fluctuations. He said a minzo was plausible, but it would take time and monitoring to see if it was really the creature and not a mechanical problem, like we had been assuming. Finally, I had someone check your room."

"And of course you didn't find any proof there," stated the Doctor.

"Your room was empty. Nothing in it at all. If you were planning on having a vacation here, why didn't you unpack anything?" Jindrick demanded, voice rising for the first time.

"Uh..." Rose said ineffectually.

"We were going to! Hadn't gotten around to it. We're huge procrastinators, you see," the Doctor rambled. Rose nodded enthusiastically.

"It took us five months to go elope! We didn't even try to plan a ceremony because we knew it wouldn't happen for years."

Jindrick, looking less than impressed with their excuses, continued, "This obviously requires more investigation. The authorities are on their way to pick you up. And the minzo's going to the zoo, so if you are guilty, there's no chance of your employer getting his weapon back. Good day." He walked out.

"That went well," Rose said after he was gone.

"Ready for a break-out?" the Doctor asked. Rose nodded.

"'Course. Though we can't wait until dark, can we? He said the authorities are on their way."

"Actually, it's still night. Early morning, but it's dark out. Now or never." The Doctor gave one of his manic grins, glad to be back in action. His companion gave one of her own trademark smiles in return, the kind that practically oozed mischief. They loved a good breakout.

The Doctor managed to use his sonic screwdriver to knock out the two orlicks guarding the satellite's miniature prison. From there, it was merely a matter of returning to the spaceport while avoiding the few people who had seen their faces. When they got to the TARDIS, however, there was a man standing guard.

"No one's allowed near this ship," he stated firmly. The Doctor put on a dour expression.

"We're here to search this vessel. Security sent us." He flashed his psychic paper, and the guard nodded.

"Ah, got the key from those criminals, huh? They couldn't get it open before; that thing's got some kind of crazy lock." The Doctor merely nodded curtly and brushed by him. Rose offered him an awkward little smile before following the Time Lord, and in moments they were inside. Appropriately, the pair began to giggle.

"Neat thing about these satellites," the Doctor began once their laughter died down, "is that ships can't leave until they've been cleared. The structure keeps a firm grip on them until payment is ensured. Unfortunately for them, the TARDIS has a dematerialization circuit." Just then, the time rotor began to move.

"That guard is so fired. So how do you think the minzo got into that reactor?" Rose inquired.

"Dunno. Rival resort, perhaps? I would have helped them figure it out, but they apparently don't want my assistance. They'll probably manage, though. After all, the authorities are on the way."

"Ah, right." There was a moment of what would usually be companionable silence, except the Doctor sensed a thick awkwardness to it. And if he concentrated, he could feel it coming off of Rose, too. He turned to say something to her, but she spoke first.

"I'm going to get a shower. Chlorine, running for your life, night in prison and all that." And she was gone.

"Um- I'll make tea!" he called after her. No response was given.

Rose stood in the shower and thought. The TARDIS showers were great for that, since they never ran out of hot water. Why did she feel so nervous? Perhaps because, for all their flirting, actually having a physical relationship was a big step. That kiss they had shared was spontaneous, so there hadn't exactly been time to think or worry. What if he regretted it? What if he didn't _like_ it? What if he thought of their flirting as some amusing new game, something to satisfy alien curiosity? Rose put her face under the spray to quell her panicking.

'Okay,' she thought, 'that kiss was mutual. You didn't just throw yourself at him. And don't be stupid; he seemed to be enjoying it. You are too old and too damn good-looking to fret like this. He's just a man – an alien, but a man – and he wants you. You know what to do.' When she turned the water off, she was filled with renewed conviction.

The Doctor had timed the completion of his tea-making perfectly, well-accustomed to his companion's showers. Today, however, he felt her before he saw her, and what he sensed made him grin broadly as she entered. He hadn't even been trying to sense her; she was just radiating confidence and attraction. Also, she was dressed much nicer than usual for a post-adventure lounging. Tight red top, nice black jeans. The determined look and feel of her faltered when she saw him, though.

"What?" she asked, smiling lightly and quirking a brow.

"Nothing," he answered, knowing he must look mischievous.

"You look like you're hiding something." At that, the Doctor's grin grew even wider.

"Maybe I am," he said almost teasingly. Then, he stood, closed the distance between them with a few long strides, placed his hands on her cheeks, and kissed her soundly. This time, it took barely a moment for Rose to slide her arms around him. They explored more bravely than the last time, tilting heads to test new angles and biting lips. The Doctor encircled her waist with one arm, pulling her flush against him and making her cling for stability. As she began to run a hand up and down his back, waves of affection and desire rolled from one person to the other. Rose's wandering hand threaded into the Doctor's hair, drawing out a small growl, and he spun them around to press her into the kitchen table. Finally, his lips left hers and started trailing down her neck.

"Woah, what-" she sucked in a breath as he nipped at her, "what _is_ that?"

The Doctor pulled away and pretended to look hurt as he asked, "What's what? Am I a bad kisser?" He achieved his desired effect; Rose's eyes widened guiltily and she spoke quickly.

"No! The kiss was...hoo. But there's...it's like in my head. Like I can..."

The Doctor mercifully dropped the hurt look and smiled again, "Feel emotions from me?"

"Yes! Is that what that is? Is it a Time Lord trick?"

"No. Well, yes. Well, ish," he rambled in his typical fashion.

"Doctor?" Rose prodded, starting to look a little concerned. This forced him to become a little more serious, though it was very hard. Mostly because HE was very-

"What do you remember about the Gamestation?"

Looking away from him (so she could concentrate? Or maybe he was being arrogant), she replied, "I remember trying to open the TARDIS, and then light. Lots of golden light and something like singing. And the next thing I knew, I woke up in the control room, and you regenerated."

"Well, what you did," he began, leaning in to nuzzle her neck, "was monumentally stupid." He bit her. "BUT, it was incredibly brave." He kissed where he'd bitten.

"Get to it, Doctor. What did I do?" She tried to sound demanding, but she was also running a hand through his hair and pulling him closer to her body.

"You looked into the heart of the TARDIS. And, as you told me, it looked into you. You destroyed all of the Daleks and ended the Time War. It was quite a turn-on." Rose blushed, which the Doctor saw when he pulled away to look at her face.

"It should have killed you, and it would have except I took the Time Vortex from you and returned it to the ship. And now seems to be a good time to mention that Cassandra's little stunt wasn't our first kiss." There was a long pause as the wheels turned in Rose's head.

"You kissed the TimeVortex out of me?" Rose asked a little incredulously. The Doctor shrugged.

"I said it was a turn-on." As he said it, he felt her stiffen under him. Through their new link, he sensed shock and horror.

"Oh god. Then you regenerated. You took it from me so I wouldn't die, and you did instead." She was frozen except for where her hand gripped his jacket.

"Ssh, ssh," the Doctor hushed her as he sent waves of calmness and gratitude through the link. "I would have been exterminated, which is a permanent death for even me, and the Daleks would have started decimating Earth and its galaxy. You were brilliant. Really. And stupid, I say again. Don't ever do it again. But you could have left me to die - should have - and instead you did the impossible. I knew then that you wouldn't capriciously leave me and that you deserved whatever I could give you. Call it the last straw before this." And he kissed her. But she barely kissed him back, so he again pulled back to look at her. She seemed so uncertain and fragile that it hurt to gaze upon.

Her voice shaking slightly, she said, "You...this. You aren't doing this just because I did that, are you? Are you...really attracted to me? It's not a debt, is it?"

"Rose," the Doctor responded with uncharacteristic frankness, "I've always been attracted to you. Your display of loyalty just made me realize how stupid I was being." Then he smiled, and she smiled; relief and real, pure joy came off of her in a burst. Unable to resist, the Doctor began to snog her again, pressing her into the table anew.

When his lips began to wander again, Rose gasped, "The emotion thing."

"Mm?" inquired the Doctor, his mouth otherwise occupied.

"You never explained-"

"Ah, right. Well, you held the TARDIS's essence within you."

"That sounds dirty," Rose interrupted, and the Doctor delivered a look of mock reproach.

"Ha. Well, it must have forged a sort of permanent connection. And since she's my ship, I have my own connection to her. Normally only Time Lords can do this, since we're a psychic species. But since we two both relate to her, we can sort of...communicate through her. Right now, we just catch random or strong emotions off each other, and only that much because we're already so close, but we can work on it. Later. Because I can frankly think of better things to do right now. So, is science class over? Satisfied, my inquisitive Rose?"

"Mm-hm," Rose said, giving the signature smile that always drove him to distraction, "I think it's time for gym."

Waggling his eyebrows, the Doctor played along, "Gym, eh?"

"Mm, yes, I think it's time for a workout." This time, she leaned in and started to kiss his jawline, his neck, down to his collar...

To be concluded...with smut.


	7. Finally

Title: Flirting and Peril  
Author: Shen  
Rating: NC-17  
Characters: Rose Tyler, The Tenth Doctor  
Spoilers: Takes place during and after New Earth  
Teaser: Cassandra's teasing on New Earth has made Rose think about how she views the Doctor...and what she should do about it.

Author's Note: This was my first attempt at smut, so do be kind. ;)

_This time, she leaned in and started to kiss his jawline, his neck, down to his collar..._

Chapter 7: Finally

When she got to his collar, Rose pulled the Doctor's tie out of his jacket and loosened it, managing to lift it over his head and drop it on a chair. She then started to make short work of his jacket and shirt buttons, only to be chagrined by the presence of a t-shirt beneath that.

"You wear too many clothes," she told him, glancing up for the first time since she'd started. He'd been watching her work with a lazy smile.

"Sorry; I guess I'm a lot of trouble." The apology was utterly-unconvincing. In response, Rose arched an eyebrow, then put both hands on his chest and pushed gently. He stepped back obligingly. No longer pressed against the kitchen table (which was probably good, since there was still hot tea on it), she stood up and pushed his jacket from his shoulders a little roughly. Having divested him of that, she dropped it on top of the tie and removed the button-down. Finally, she tugged his t-shirt out of his pants and let him help her remove it.

"Better?" he asked. The response he received was Rose running her hands up his chest to his shoulders and pulling him down for a thorough snogging. This kiss was rougher, uncertainty gone and desire rolling from one to the other. Waves of heat from a fire they could only stoke. She let her nails caress his back, which he seemed to enjoy if that happy sigh signified anything. Then she grabbed his bum, and he growled again and slipped his hands under the back of her top, and there was pushing towards the table again.

"Bedroom," Rose broke apart to gasp. The Doctor obligingly pulled her by the hand to the nearest bedroom, which happened to be hers. When he swung her up into his arms, her stomach did a little flip. She also let out a giggle. Even a month ago, how could she have imagined? In the arms of a shirtless Doctor, being laid on top of a bed, and looking into eyes filled with heat and...intention. It made her shiver.

He took off his trainers, climbed into bed beside her, and started to lift the hem of her shirt again. When he peppered her stomach with kisses, she laughed at the sensation of his fringe brushing against her chest. It seemed only fair she finish removing the offending article of clothing. The Doctor's eyes lit up, so close to his prize, but he first kissed up her stomach and- was he drawing his tongue up her chest? As his lips settled upon hers again, it occurred to her that she hadn't thought she would like being licked. But she apparently had, were she to judge by the way her hand fervently threaded through his hair and pulled him closer. Her other hand dug into his back, relenting only to slide down, down...

The Doctor reached under her and unhooked her bra, tossing it aside when she had disentangled herself. He wasted no time getting to know each breast with mouth and hand, but she became frustrated with her lack of reach. She prodded him to his side and abruptly pinned him on his back, straddling him where she could feel exactly how turned on he was. The friction made him moan before she smothered it, kissing him heatedly. It was her turn for hands caressing her back, and one slowly, firmly cupped her behind and pulled her closer to its owner. After several seconds, she started to work her way down his neck and chest, planting open-mouthed kisses as she went. Getting to his trousers, she made short work of them, leaving him in only pants. Black boxer-briefs. All those times she'd wondered if it was one or the other, and she wasn't right once!

"What are you smiling at?" a husky voice asked. Rose looked up the length of the body she'd been exploring. She marshaled her best seductive smile.

"What I'm doing..." she began, trailing fingers up one thigh, "is taking my time." She punctuated the last word by ghosting over his crotch and drawing a most intriguing grunt from him. Trailing down the other thigh, she continued.

"Problem?" Before he could answer, she placed her hand on his member and _ground_. The Doctor closed his eyes and sucked in a breath. Suddenly feeling charitable, she helped him out of his pants, and as she knelt into position, she was aware of something new. Without thinking about it, she realized that on some level she could feel what she was doing to him. Her head positively tickled when she leaned in and drew her tongue slowly up his length. Though he had been watching her attentively, his head dropped back to the pillow just then. Still, he raised himself up on his elbows to watch her work.

Men. Even alien men just had to watch for some reason. She didn't need to peek at his face to tell how she was doing, however; this link gave her a good idea of when she was doing something right. Some short minutes of swirling, slow licking, and testing the limits of her gag reflex had the Doctor breathing heavily and making very encouraging noises.

"Rose," he managed, "stop." Obediently, she pulled away and looked up at him. It was enough for him to haul her up his body and roll them over. Now on top, he caught her hands beneath his.

The Doctor had let Rose have the top for long enough.

"You-" he interrupted himself with a long kiss, "now you're wearing too much." He helped her out of the rest of her clothing and lay beside her, propped up on an elbow. He stopped moving for a few moments, just drinking her in until her little whimper drew him out of his reverie. It made him look her in the eye, into that beautiful face that always held such complete trust. Trust he didn't feel he deserved but that he cherished more than he could explain. Cherish. That's what he should do with this woman who did so much for him – cherish her and show it.

He kissed each cheek before descending on her mouth, exploring it almost reverently. His free hand caressed down her body, settling between her legs. He was surprised by how ready she already seemed, but have no one say he was a discourteous lover. He swirled gently a few times before seeking entry, moving slowly but insistently. She lay a hand on his upper arm, encouraging him with a squeeze, and he begun to move more quickly and deeply. Shortly, she was interrupting their kiss with little moans into his mouth. When she maneuvered to handle his member, however, he decided enough was enough. The Doctor pulled away from the kiss and nudged her legs open, settling in between her thighs.

"Ready?" he held off long enough to ask. The tone of his voice sounded almost like a threat, but Rose nodded back with certainty. Her eyes were so wide, like she couldn't believe this was really happening. Well, he'd fix that – he'd like to think no dream could substitute for this.

He slid inside her as slowly as he could, not wanting to hurt her. It seemed he needn't have bothered, however, by the way she closed her eyes and wiggled closer to him. They began a slow, rocking rhythm, adjusting to the feel of each other. Catching a look at her pleasure-riddled face, the Doctor marveled at what he had been missing.

Rose opened her eyes just in time to have her vision filled with Time Lord. He kissed her soundly before burying his head in her neck. A sharp bite made her moan, and she threw one leg around his waist to let him press closer. He drove faster and deeper while her hands roamed wherever they could reach, either dragging nails across skin or caressing it lovingly. There was panting now, broken up with low moans. When she lay her hand to rest on his cheek, he turned his head to kiss her palm before grabbing her legs to rearrange her. They went a few minutes with one leg on his shoulder before her inability to touch more than his chest made her remove it. Afforded closeness anew, he crushed her lips in a bruising way and let himself speed up for the final time. For both of them, breaths came in gasps. Rose's hand found his, and he held it beneath him as he groaned loudly. He felt nails digging painfully into his hand as even her waves of emotion became erratic.

"Doc- tor-!" she gasped, sending off a psychic explosion in red and gold. It was all he saw behind his closed eyelids, and it sent him careening over the edge after her. The pair rode it out while clinging to each other, ending when the Doctor let himself rest and cover her relaxing form. In silence but for the sounds of ragged breathing, he separated from her and lay at her side. Automatically, she curled up to him, and he placed an arm behind her. It seemed neither wanted to speak for fear of ruining the moment, and then she was rather suddenly asleep. Arm curled over his abdomen, head on his shoulder, and out like a light. The Doctor smiled at the top of her disheveled head. Very carefully, he pulled a blanket over them and kissed her forehead. Humans and their need for sleep...though just now, a nap did seem like a good idea.

In moments, he too was unconscious and dreaming more peacefully than he could remember. The deep slumber of one was secured by the feelings of utter contentment radiating off the other.


End file.
